Package and carton for hinge leaves

ABSTRACT

A package and carton for hinge leaves which permit identical leaves to be stacked in a spaced predetermined oriented position so as to be insertable in a magazine used in connection with a machine which applies said leaves to doors.

United States Patent Francis C. Peterson Affton, Mo.

May 1, 1969 Apr. 27, 1971 C. Eager 8: Sons Hinge Manufacturing Company St. Louis, Mo.

lnventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee PACKAGE AND CARTON FOR HINGE LEAYES 1 Claim, 14 Drawing Figs.

u.s.c| 206/65,

1 206/73 1nt.Cl 865d 77/26 Field orswdl 206/62,46

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS r 3,313,407 4/1967 Palm 206/65 3,084,790 4/1963 Vander Lugt 206/ 75X 2,431,535 1 1/1947 Bergstrom 206/73 1,622,615 3/ 1927 Teller 16/ l 59 1,321,277 11/1919 Barta l6/l63X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,438,550 4/1966 France 206/62 465,570 5/1937 Great Britain 206/75 Primary Examiner-beonard Summer Attorney-Gravely, Lieder & Woodruff ABSTRACT: A package and carton for hinge leaves which permit id tical leaves to be stacked in a spaced predetermined ori nted position so as to be insertable in a magazine used in connection with a machine which applies said leaves to doors.

PATENTED m2? 197! SHEET 3 [IF 3 PACKAGE AND CARTON FOR HINGE LEAVES This invention relates in general to an improved hinge package and a carton for hinges, and in particular, to such a package and carton wherein identical hinge leaves are placed in alignment without touching each other and are adapted to be inserted into a magazine with the carton removed therefrom, thereby loading the magazine and permitting easy application of hinge leaves to doors or door frames.

In the past, when packaging or storing hinges, the hinges have been assembled with the two leaves joined by a hinge pin therethrough, then wrapped individually, and then placed in a canon. In other instances, identical hinge leaves may be placed in a box in layers with paper between the layers, such as when a master carton holds 100 or more of such hinge leaves. A second similar carton may hold the opposite or mating hinge leaves in layers between pieces of paper. Such packages are used by hinge manufacturers incertain instances when hinges are sent to makers of door units which require large numbers of hinges.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a hinge leaf package having a canon with identical hinge leaves in spaced alignment therein and-adapted to be inserted into a magazine which feeds a machine which mechanically applies the hinge leaf to an object, such as a wooden door or frame. Another object is to provide a package in which a plurality of the foregoing packages may be conveniently shipped to a door unit manufacturer. Another object is to provide an inexpensive carton or subcarton which has means for holding identical hinge leaves in spaced aligned relation thereby preventing damage to the hinge leaves themselves during storage and shipment. Still another object is to provide a package from which the contents, which are hinge leaves, may be easily removed and inserted into a magazine in aligned relation.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter.

The invention is embodied in a carton, and in a package comprising said carton having outer and inner portions, said inner portions having upstanding members with slots therebetween, and a hinge leaf positioned in each slot, said hinge leaves being identical and being maintained in predetermined aligned relation, said cartonadapted to be stripped from said aligned hinge leaves as said hinge leaves are loaded into a magazine prior to installing them on a door or door frame.

The invention also consists in the parts and in the arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed. In the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification and wherein like numerals and symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur:

FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line 1-1 of FIG. 2 of a package embodying the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing hinge leaves in spaced upstanding relation within the carton,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the outer portion of a two-piece carton embodying the present invention,

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the blank for the inner portion of said two-piece carton,

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a hinge leaf which may be packaged in accordance with this invention,

FIGS. 6 and 8 are fragmentary plan views of one-piece blanks showing modified forms of the carton,

FIGS. 7 and 9 are cross-sectional views of said modified cartons of FIGS. 6 and 8, respectively, after they are folded into hinge leaf holding position,

FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of a magazine mounted on a base which is adapted to receive all of the hinge leaves from said package, 1

-FIG. 11 is a end view of said magazine for holding about 25 of said hinge leaves, v

FIGS. 12 and 13 are cross-sectional views taken along the lines 13-13 and 12-12, respectively, showing another modified carton, and

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top plan view of a blank for said .modified carton shown in FIGS. 12 and 13.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises a package P having a carton C and a plurality of hinge leaves L therein in spaced aligned relation. The package P is adapted to be placed into a master shipping carton, not shown, in layers, with one layer placed ontop of the layer therebelow. For example, four packages P may be placed across the bottom of the master shipping carton to form the bottom layer, and three layers of four packages each may be placed thereon, so that the master carton will contain a total of 16 packages.

The cartons C are designed to receive hinge leaves L of a certain design. The carton C may be modified to accommodate the shape of the hinge leaf L. One such hinge'leaf L is shown in FIG. 5 of the accompanying drawings. Each assembled hinge comprises two hinge leaves L and a pin therethrough when said hinge is operatively connected to a door and door frame. As shown in the drawings, each hinge leaf L comprises a body 1 with a knuckle 2 along one edge 3 thereof. The body 1 has side edges 4 and is provided with means for positioning and securing the hinge leaf L to a door or to a door frame, such as an opening 5 for receiving a screw or fastener, prongs 6, and flanges 7 which abut against a perpendicular surface of the door or door frame to which the hinge leaf L is attached. The knuckle 2 has knuckle ends 8 and an opening 9 therethrough which is adapted to receive a hinge pin. When standing on its bottom 10 or on the edge which connects the prongs 6, the prongs 6 and the flanges 7 and the curved edge 11 of the knuckle 2 are about in the same vertical plane. The body 1 has two flat parallel surfaces 12 and 13. The plane of the body 1, if extended, would pass through the axis 14 of the opening in the knuckle 2.

The carton C comprises an outer portion 16 and an inner portion 17 which has slots 18 therein for receiving the hinge leaves L in upstanding position. .The outer portion 16 comprises two upstanding sidewalls 19, a bottom 20, and two relatively short end walls 21. The end walls 21 may be of double thickness and may be secured in upstanding relation by reason of the bottom tabs 22 being secured to the bottom 20 and the sidewall tabs 23 being positioned between the two thicknesses of the end walls 21. These parts may frictionally fit together or may be secured by an adhesive. The inner portion 17 of the carton C comprises a series of upstanding members 24 with the slots 18 therebetween. The slots 18 are wider at their tops 25 than at their bottoms. The bottom portion 26 of each member 24 is spaced inwardly from the sidewall 19. The apex 27 of each upstanding member 24 is positioned below the top edge 28 of each sidewall 19. The top edge 29 of each end wall 21 is positioned below the apex 27 of the members 24. Extending outwardly from each bottom portion 26 of each member 24 is a horizontal portion 30. These horizontal portions 30 form a longitudinally extending portion 31 positioned between the members 22 and the sidewalls l9 and are adapted to receive the lower edge 10 or prongs 6 of each hinge leaf L.

When identical hinge leaves L are positioned in the carton C to form a clip of hinge leaves, each hinge leaf L is spaced from the adjacent hinge leaf L by a small distance d, and each hinge leaf L is oriented so that the prongs 6 and flanges 7 extend in the same direction. In this position, the body 1 of each hinge leaf L is parallel to the body 1 of the next adjacent hinge leaf L. The prongs 6 rest on the longitudinally extending portions 31 of the insert or inner portion 17. The knuckles 2 are positioned above the apexes 27 of the inner portion 17. The distance K between centerlines 32 of the slots 18 is slightly greater than the outside diameter of the knuckle 2, which is positioned substantially directly above the plane of the body 1, so that in assembled position the edges of adjacent knuckles 2 do not contact each other.

As shown in FIGS. ll-4, the carton C may be made in two pieces. One piece may contain the sidewalls 19, end walls 21, and the bottom 20 which connects all walls. The second piece or inner portion 17 may contain the upwardly extending members 24 with the slots 18 therebetween and the longitudinally extending horizontal portions 31 which connect the members 22 and on which the prongs 6 or lower edge of the hinge leaf L may rest.

As shown in FIGS. 6-9, which show two modifications, the

carton C may be made in one piece which contains the sidewalls 19, end walls forming portions 21a, and the longitudinally extending horizontal portions 31a which are foldably connected to the sidewalls l9 and which have the upstanding members 24 with slots 18 therebetween extending upwardly therefrom. In FIGS. 6 and 7, the members 24 have relatively flat top portions 33, whereas in FIGS. 8 and 9 they have two upwardly sloping sections 34 which meet at the apex 27.

About 25 hinge leaves L are inserted in each carton C. This forms a carton about l3 inches long, 2 inches high, and 1% inches wide, but of course, these dimensions will depend upon the size of the hinge leaves L to be packaged in this manner. Each package P, which comprises the carton C with a plurality of hinge leaves L therein, is then placed in a master carton, which may be made of suitable corrugated board. Such a master carton could be loaded with four packages side-by-side to form a bottom layer containing a total of I hinge leaves. Four layers of 100 hinge leaves can be placed in the master carton, whose dimensions are about 13 inches long, 9 inches high, and 7% inches wide.

As shown in FIGS. and 11, the magazine M which receives the plurality of hinge leaves L may comprise two parallel-shaped rails 35, each having a tapered end 36 terminating in a small end 37. These rails 34 extend upwardly at about a 45 angle to a horizontal line, with their lower portions 38 curved gradually so that their bottom ends 39 are vertical with respect to the base 40. The curvature of each rail 35 is predetermined in accordance with the natural curvature which the hinge leaves L would assume when stacked, so that the hinge leaves L tend to move downwardly freely by gravity on the rails 35. More particularly, the flanges 7 on the hinge leaves L contact the upper surfaces 41 of the rails 35. When the lower hinge leaf L contacts the base 40, it is in a horizontal position. Thereafter, movable means such as a hydraulic plunger shifts the hinge leaf L laterally through the cutout portions 42 in the rails 35 until the prongs 6 are over that portion of the door or door frame into which they are to be driven and the flanges 7 abut against the perpendicular edge to properly position the hinge leaf L. At this time, a hydraulic hammer comes down and drives the prongs 6 of the hinge leaf L into the door or door frame to which it is to be attached. A screw or other fastener is then automatically applied through the opening 5 in the body 3 to permanently secure the hinge leaf L to the door or door frame. The combination of the screw and the prongs 6 and the flanges 7 properly assembled will positively secure the hinge leaf L to the door or door frame.

To load hinge leaves L in the magazine M, a package P is removed from the master carton, preferably with one hand at each end of the package P. The thumb of one hand then breaks the end wall 2I adjacent to the end hinge leaf L whose prongs 6 extend toward said end wall 21. This makes certain that the hinge leaves L will be inserted in the proper direction in the magazine M. With the end wall 21 broken away, the

package P is moved so that the knuckle 2 of each hinge will be above the rails 35 and the body 1 will be between the rails 35, with the prongs 6 therebelow. In this position, the tapered ends 36 of the rails 35 cause the upstanding members 24 to bend and allow all of the 25 hinge leaves L to be placed upon the rails 35. Thus, the hinge leaves L are stripped from the carton C, whose outer and inner portions 16 and I7 are removed from a position below the magazine M and thrown away.

The dimensions of the packages P and cartons C depend upon the size and shape of the hinge leaves L to be assembled by high-speed automatic equipment. The dimensions herein mentioned are those of a typical small hinge leaf of a design having prongs 6 for attachment instead of a plurality of openings 5. However, cartons C with upstanding members 24 with slots 18 therebetween can be used on hinge leaves of other designs, including those without prongs.

The present package allows numerous hinge leaves to be packaged for storage or transportation in such a manner that each leaf is free of contact from every other leaf, and permits the leaves of an entire carton to unloaded easily and quickly onto a magazine with a minimum of effort. In this position on a magazine, the leaves are ready for quick and fast assembly onto a suitable door or door frame member by automatic equipment. The material from which the cartons are made is preferably paperboard of such strength that a rigid carton is formed for holding 25 hinge leaves. However, each member 24 is easily bendable and the carton C is easily bendable so as to be easily removable when the hinge leaves L are being loaded onto a magazine.

With the hinge leaf L shown in FIG. 5, a complete hinge comprises two of such identical leaves, one mounted above the other, with a hinge pin through the knuckle of each of the two identical hinge leaves L. Thus, the leaves in one carton can be used in pairs to form a complete hinge when a hinge pin has been inserted through the knuckles thereof.

A further modified form of the invention is shown in FIGS. l2l4, wherein the hinge leaves L with a plurality of knuckles 2 and a flat body I are stacked in parallel relation in the modified carton C, which has an outer bottom 206 with upstanding sidewalls 19, each having a downwardly rebent portion 43 from which the upstanding members 24a are folded. The upstanding members 24a have inwardly extending upper and lower portions 44 and 45 -with an apex 46 therebetween. The modified carton C has inner bottoms 47 which may be short in width or of suflicient width to be in edgewise abutting relation to each other in the center of the carton. The inner bottoms 47 may be glued to or simply pushed down against the inner surface of the outer bottom 20c, where they will remain in contact due to friction. In this arrangement, the upstanding members 24a have their leg portions 44 and 45 opening toward the sidewalls 19, whereas in the other forms shown in FIGS. lll the upstanding members 24 have their leg portions opening toward the bottom of the carton. The modified carton shown in FIGS. l2l4 is adapted to hold 25 hinge leaves L having one or more knuckles 2 thereon and a planar or flat body 1. These hinge leaves L are positioned in the same orientation within each slot 18 so that the chamfered opening 5 is properly positioned for receiving the fastener or screw which secures the hinge leaf L to the door or door frame. An identical modified carton may be used for packaging the two-knuckle hinge leaves L which mate with the three-knuckle hinge leaves L shown in FIG. 12.

Iclaim:

l. A package for hinge leaves, said package comprising a carton having an inner portion and an outer portion, said outer portion having upstanding sidewalls extending higher than said inner portion, said carton having a horizontal bottom hinge supporting portion extending inwardly from said sidewalls, said inner portion having a plurality of upstanding members with slots therebetween, and a hinge leaf positioned in each slot, said hinge leaves being identical and being similarly oriented and being maintained in aligned upstanding relation in said carton, said hinge lea'ves being supported on said horizontal bottom hinge supporting portion, said hinge leaves each having a body and a knuckle above said body, the side edges of the-hinge bodies being spaced inwardly from said sidewalls, said hinge leaves each having a flange thereon located below each end of the knuckle and outwardly of the side edge of the body, said outer portion having end walls lower than the height of said upstanding members, the top edge of each end wall being below the upper edge of the upstanding members of the inner portion, thereby forming a longitudinal opening above said top edge, within said sidewalls, and beneath said flanges, said longitudinal opening being adapted to receive the rails of a magazine for receiving said hinge leaves, said carton being adapted to be stripped from said hinge leaves as said hinge leaves are loaded into a magazine. 

1. A package for hinge leaves, said package comprising a carton having an inner portion and an outer portion, said outer portion having upstanding sidewalls extending higher than said inner portion, said carton having a horizontal bottom hinge supporting portion extending inwardly from said sidewalls, said inner portion having a plurality of upstanding members with slots therebetween, and a hinge leaf positioned in each slot, said hinge leaves being identical and being similarly oriented and being maintained in aligned upstanding relation in said carton, said hinge leaves being supported on said horizontal bottom hinge supporting portion, said hinge leaves each having a body and a knuckle above said body, the side edges of the hinge bodies being spaced inwardly from said sidewalls, said hinge leaves each having a flange thereon located below each end of the knuckle and outwardly of the side edge of the body, said outer portion having end walls lower than the height of said upstanding members, the top edge of each end wall being below the upper edge of the upstanding members of the inner portion, thereby forming a longitudinal opening above said top edge, within said sidewalls, and beneath said flanges, said longitudinal opening being adapted to receive the rails of a magazine for receiving said hinge leaves, said carton being adapted to be stripped from said hinge leaves as said hinge leaves are loaded into a magazine. 